dences it does appear most clearly that it flourishes by the presence and residence of the celestial gods. So then, your city, regardless of all local interest and advantage, and omitting the petitions formerly presented to us, for its own political affairs, when it perceived the votaries of an execrable vanity again insinuating themselves, and as a funeral pile long disregarded and smothered, again rising in mighty flames and rekindling the extinguished brands, immediately without delay it took refuge in our piety, as the metropolis of all religion, entreating some remedy and relief; which salutary mind it is evident the immortal gods have imparted to you on account of your faith and piety. Wherefore, that supreme and mighty Jove, he who presides over your most illustrious city, who has rescued your country's gods, and wives, and children, and houses, and homes, from every destructive pest, has infused into you the happy counsel, showing and proving to you how excellent, and noble, and profitable it is to observe the worship and the sacred rites of the immortal gods with becoming reverence. For who can be so bereft of understanding, and all sense, as not to perceive, that it has happened by the gracious benevolence of the gods, that neither the earth has refused the seed committed to it, and disappointed the hope of the husbandmen with vain expectation; nor the presence of impious war has been inevitably fixed on earth, and under a corrupt atmosphere wasting bodies have been dragged and weighed down to death; nor the ocean swelling and rising on high, with the raging blasts of intemperate storms, nor unexpected tempests have burst and spread destruction around. Moreover, that neither the parent and nurturing earth has risen in dreadful tremblings, from its lowest depths, nor the superincumbent hills and mountains have sunk into its opening jaws. All which calamities, and worse than these, have, as we all know, frequently occurred. And all this in consequence of the destructive error of this hollow delusion of lawless men, when it began to take root in their minds, and we may say covered nearly all the world with infamy." A little after, he adds the following: "Let them look at the flourishing crops in the wide extended fields waving with the loaded ears, and the meadows glittering with plants and flowers, from the seasonable showers, and the temperature of the air restored to a mild and placid state. Then let all rejoice, that by your piety, and sacrifices, and veneration of the gods, the divinity of omnipotent and mighty Mars has been propitiated, and hence let them enjoy tranquillity and solid peace, be filled with pleasure and joy; and as many as have abandoned that blind delusion and perplexing error, whoever they may be, and have returned to the right and sound mind, let these rejoice still more, as those who have been rescued from an unexpected storm or severe disease, and let them enjoy the delightful fruits the rest of their life. But should they still adhere to their execrable folly, let them be driven out and separated far from your city and territory, as you have desired. That thus agreeably to your zeal, so praiseworthy in this respect, your city, separated from all pollution and impiety, may attend to the sacred rites of the immortal gods, according to its natural disposition, with due veneration. That ye may also know how acceptable this request of yours respecting this matter has been, and how very prompt our mind is to confer benefits of our own voluntary kindness: Without decrees and without petitions, we grant to your devotedness to desire any privilege you please for this your pious purpose of mind. Present now your petitions to have this done and to receive it, for you shall obtain without delay. Which, indeed, when granted to your city, will be an evidence for ever of your devoted piety to the immortal gods, as also of the fact that you obtained by our kindness, merited prizes for this your purpose of life; an evidence which will be exhibited to your children and posterity." Such were the letters that were sent abroad against us in all the provinces, cutting us off from every hope of good, at least from men; so that, according to the holy Scriptures themselves, if it were possible, "the very elect would take offence." And now, indeed, when the hope of most of us was almost extinct, all on a sudden, almost whilst the agents of this decree against us were in some places yet on the way to carry it into effect, that God, who is the defender of his church, all but stopping the pomp and boasting of the tyrant's mouth, exhibited his heavenly interposition in our behalf. CHAPTER VIII. THE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED AFTER THESE; FAMINE, RAINS and showers, which usually fell in the winter season, now withheld their accustomed contribution upon the earth. An unexpected famine came on, and pestilence after this. Another kind of sickness also followed, which was a species of ulcer called by the name of carbuncle, on account of its inflammatory appearance. This spreading over the whole body, greatly endangered the lives of those afflicted with it, and as it prevailed mostly about the eyes, it deprived great numbers of men, women, and children of their sight. In addition to these calamities, the war with the Armenians threatened the tyrant. These men had been the friends and allies of the Romans from ancient times, and as they were Christians, and greatly valued piety toward the Deity, and as the profane and impious tyrant had attempted to force them to sacrifice to idols and dæmons, he made them enemies instead of friends, and belligerent foes instead of allies. And all these troubles suddenly concurring at one and the same time, refuted the tyrant's boasting and blustering audacity against God; when, indeed, in his great zeal for idols, and his hostility to us, he boasted that neither famine nor pestilence nor war had happened in his times. All these coming upon him at once, presented the preludes to his own death. He, together with his army, was defeated in the war with the Armenians; and the rest of the inhabitants of cities under him were dreadfully afflicted both by famine and pestilence, so that a single measure of wheat was sold for two thousand five hundred Attic drachms.* Immense numbers were dying in the cities, still more in the country and villages, so that now the vast population in the interior was almost entirely swept away; nearly all being suddenly destroyed by want of food and by pestilential disease. Many were anxious to sell their most valuable effects to those better supplied, for the smallest quantity of food. Others, gradually spending all their possessions, were reduced to the last extreme of want. And some even chewing remnants of hay, and others eating without distinction certain noxious herbs, miserably destroyed the constitution of the body. Also, some of the more honourable females throughout the cities, constrained by want to throw aside all shame, went into the public markets to beg, indicating the evidences of their former liberal education, by the modesty of their countenances and the decency of their apparel. Some, indeed, wasted away to mere skeletons, stumbled hither and thither like dead shadows, trembling and tottering, from excessive weakness and inability to stand; they fell down in the midst of the streets, where they lay stretched out, and only earnestly begged some one to hand them a little morsel of bread, then drawing in their breath, with the last gasp they cried out, Hunger! having only strength sufficient for this most painful cry. Some, however, of those that appeared better supplied, astonished at the great multitude of those begging, after giving vast quantities away, afterwards yielded to a harsh and inflexible disposition, expecting that they would soon suffer the same things with those begging of them. So that now in the midst of the streets and lanes, the dead and naked bodies, cast out and lying for many days, presented a most painful spectacle to the beholders. Some, indeed, were already * About 361. men. the food of dogs, on which account, the survivors began to slay the dogs, lest growing mad they should devour The pestilence, in the mean time, did not the less prey upon every house and family, particularly those, whom the famine from their abundance of food could not destroy; the wealthy, the rulers, generals, and vast numbers in office, who, as if they had been designedly left by the famine to the pestilence, were overtaken by a sudden, violent, and rapid death. All places, therefore, were filled with lamentation, in all streets, lanes, market places, and highways. Nothing was to be seen but tears, with the accustomed flutes, and funeral dirge. In this manner death waged a desolating war with these two weapons, famine and pestilence, destroying whole families in a short time, so that one now could see two or three dead bodies carried out at once. Such were the rewards of the pompous boasting of Maximinus, and of his edicts throughout the city against us. Then, also, the evidences of the zeal and piety of the Christians became manifest and obvious to all, for they were the only persons in the midst of such distressing circumstances, that exhibited sympathy and humanity in their conduct. They continued the whole day, some in the care and burial of the dead, for numberless were they for whom there was none to care; others collecting the multitude of those wasted by the famine throughout the city, distributed bread among all; so that the fact was cried abroad, and men glorified the God of the Christians, constrained as they were, by the facts, to acknowledge that these were the only really pious and the only real worshippers of God. Whilst these things were being done, God, the great and celestial defender of the Christians, who exhibited his indignation and anger against men by these calamities, on account of the excesses committed against us, restored the benign and smiling brightness of his providence towards us, so that by a most wonderful concurrence of events, the light of his peace again began to shine upon us as from the midst of the densest darkness; showing |